If you’re thinking of doing some exo-planetary travelling this year, most scientists agree that Mars is your best bet. At roughly half the size of the Earth and with 37 per cent of its gravity, Mars is usually regarded as the most accessible and likely location in the solar system for finding evidence of life, and also the next target for human exploration.
Last Friday, in a lecture to a crowd of space enthusiasts at the Medical Sciences Building auditorium, Canadian astronaut Dr. Marc Garneau detailed Canada’s future involvement in Mars exploration.
In 1984, Garneau became the first Canadian in space, serving on space shuttle mission 41-G. He returned to space in 1996 and again in 2000. In 2001 he was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency, and in that capacity he addressed the crowd on Friday.
The surface of Mars is covered in mountains and valleys, but scientists have documented that the southern hemisphere of Mars is higher in altitude and more mountainous than the north. This hints that in the past the northern hemisphere wasn’t exposed to the same asteroid impacts as the south, and may have been covered by an ocean. That idea is especially exciting because, as Garneau said, “On Earth, at least, where there’s water, there’s life.”
The search for evidence of water or life on Mars is currently one of NASA’s main objectives, and Garneau emphasized that Canada is playing an active role. This country’s leadership in areas like mining means that we have a lot to contribute when it comes to geological exploration of other planets. Garneau stated that Canada is also a leader in technology, citing the Canadarm and its successor Canadarm2, as well as our various contributions to the International Space Station.
Canada’s next major involvement in Mars exploration is a thermal plasma analyzer that will measure radiation levels on the planet. The device is currently aboard a Japanese satellite bound for Mars.
Canada’s focus in space exploration has always been to fill specialized areas, like robotics or geology. By having a focused space program, the Canadian Space Agency is able to use its resources efficiently and not duplicate work being done by other countries.
But the future isn’t all rosy. As Garneau pointed out, the vast majority of satellites and instruments that get launched into orbit are pointed toward Earth, measuring things like the effects of global warming, changing weather patterns around the world, and the ozone layer. His message was clear—before we get too involved in the exploration of other planets, we need to take care of our own.
Photograph by Andrew Murillo
